To explore how the staging of Shakespeare’s Macbeth could create objectivity, which will influence an audience’s perception of violence, I was inclined to observe how violence can be used within productions. Violence on stage has been a theatre tradition since the dawn of humanity, beginning with basic hunting and sacrificial rituals and slowly evolving into what we know on stage today. Violence is often used to further the plot by creating dramatic tension, conflict, climax or tragedy. Aristotle’s plot structure supported the idea that plot, or mythos, was the most influential element of a tragedy.
According to Elizabeth Belfiore’s Tragic Pleasures: Aristotle on Plot and Emotion, Aristotle believed that “mythos is essential to tragedy, ethos
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The two productions are the 1979 Trevor Nunn's Royal Shakespeare Company production staring Ian McKellen as Macbeth and the 2010 Rupert Goold production staring Patrick Stewart as Macbeth. The 1979 production “was greeted with ecstatic reviews and audiences who departed into the night in a state of terror”, with some stating it was “the most unforgettable Shakespeare they had ever witnessed”. The 1979 production is set in a traditional context with Macbeth being a member of the Scottish military in the 16th century. The 2010 production was set in a contemporary context, in a battle ridden totalitarian dictatorship styled country during the 20th century. This production also received glowing reviews, with some declaring it "The best Macbeth I have seen". Both of these productions have been acclaimed for the presence of violence throughout the production thus making them highly suitable for the comparison. Although these productions have violence present throughout them, the question that must be addressed is why is violence so fascinating to